SKIN WIN
The type of concealer you always want to avoid as it adds 10 years to your face – and the £4.49 product to get instead
Concealer can settle into fine lines and create visible creases... especially if it's the wrong consistency
A MAKE-UP artist has revealed the concealer mistake you’re making that adds 10 YEARS to your face.
Concealer is a hero for dark circles and smoothing out texture under the eyes - but certain products could have the opposite effect, Wayne Goss says.
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When applied under the eyes, it works by neutralising or masking dark circles and brightening the area.
Concealers can contain pigments that can counteract the colour of dark circles, with most people opting for a shade lighter than their skin tone to add a brightening effect.
But Wayne, who has 15 years of experience in the industry, warns that going too light can make you look older rather than younger.
“Generally speaking, people may go too light around the eyes with their concealer which can add years to your face,” he warns.
“So, it’s really important to get the colour that suits your skin tone.
“Cream concealer is always recommended above liquids.
“And I’d highly recommend applying some on the inner corner of your eye, as that’s the one part of the eye that doesn’t crease.”
The skin under the eyes is delicate and prone to creasing due to natural fine lines.
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When concealer is applied, it can settle into these lines and create visible creases - especially if the formula is thick or drying.
Wayne recommends choosing a concealer with a hydrating and creamy formula to minimise this.
“Majority of us will be using make-up to help improve how we look, or even help cover up some of the wrinkles we’ve gained over the years,” he adds.
“However, due to some mistakes, the make-up that we’re wearing could actually be doing the opposite effect.
“This could potentially be adding not just one or two, but up to 10 years to our face.”
The importance of sun cream in your skincare routine
Dermatologist and skincare enthusiast Andrea Suarez - known as Dr Dray - revealed why you should wear suncream.
The one thing you can do that will make the biggest difference - and this matters for all ages - is protecting your skin from the sun, Andrea stressed.
"The vast majority of external aging is due to exposure to ultraviolet radiation," she continued, not because you're "not using some jazzy serum or layering 90 different things on your face everyday".
"If you're not doing in your 20s, get on that now."
But she said the use of sun cream alone doesn't go far enough. Andrea urged that you also wear sun-protective clothing like broad-brimmed hats and long sleeves, on top of not staying out too long in the sun.
Doing this over your lifetime - and all year, not just during the summer or on sunny days - "will reduce the visible signs of photoageing", Andrea said.
Those are wrinkles, muddled pigmentation and sagging skin.
The skincare you perform before applying make-up has a huge impact on how it looks, too.
“As we get older, our skin will naturally become drier, which is why hydrating ingredients are so important as you get into your older age,” Wayne explains.
“Look for make-up with ingredients such as hyaluronic acid when you’re on your next make-up and skincare shopping haul to ensure that your products are keeping your skin hydrated.
“Before you start applying anything to your face, ensure that you’ve applied a heavy moisturiser to ensure your skin stays hydrated.
“Use a good primer before you start applying your make-up to ensure it'll act as a barrier between your skin and your make-up to help the make-up stay in the right places all day, rather than just in the fine lines.”
The new £29 Laura Mercier Real Flawless Weightless Perfecting Concealer is a hero for hydrating under-eyes and preventing creases.
Read more on the Scottish Sun
But if this is out of your budget, Superdrug's £4.49 Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer has gone viral on TikTok in recent weeks for producing "flawless" under-eyes.
The formula includes castor oil for hydration, as well as hexyl laurate, an emollient that helps soften and smooth the skin.